That Was Then, This Is Now
by WheresDaBeef
Summary: Charlotte Tyler has never had an easy life. A lot has changed in the five years since her brother Tommy was killed by the Russians. She's been in the SAS and is now a part of the Task Force 141, the most elite group of soldiers on the planet. WW3 has become even more difficult now that her 3 year old daughter is at the base. Can she balance a child, work, and a boyfriend?
1. Chapter 1

**Ok so this is my first story and I'm new to writing fan fiction so this should be interesting. I hope you guys like it, cause I'm sorta making up the plot line as I go at the moment... but hey I'll figure it out. I'm also really busy, so my updating times will be a little wonky and maybe spread out. I'd love for any advice and reviews would help me a lot! Thanks for reading! **

**The bolded words in the story are in Russian, since I don't speak the language.**

* * *

"RUN CHARLIE, RUN!" Yelled Tommy.

I stumbled over a stump, falling onto the hard ground below me. My shin dragged over a jagged rock and I could feel the sticky warm blood beginning to ooze from my leg.

"AHHGH!" I cried out in pain. I attempted to lift myself up off of the ground, but a sharp pain ran up my leg. Immediately I dropped back down. Looking ahead into the forest I saw figures approaching me. God, why did this have to happen? Why did we volunteer for this op? I closed my eyes, knowing death was inevitable and that there was no escape from my fate. They were getting closer and I could hear the pounding of their feet was becoming louder and louder.

Hopefully they'll kill me quickly, since I don't really want to have the full death experience of laying on the ground in a puddle of my own blood, moaning in pain. Suddenly I felt someone pull me up.

"Come on I'm getting you out of this alive!" Yelled Tommy. I opened my eyes to see him firing at the enemy, which was pretty hopeless at this point. Although I had to admit that he's pretty damn persistent on getting us out of here alive.

After finishing off as many enemies as possible, he jogged over to me and wrapped my arm around his neck. After narrowly dodging a bullet he picked me up and began to sprint in the opposite direction.

"Put me down! Save yourself and leave me. If one of us is going to survive it should be you!" The blood was rapidly pouring from my leg now, making me feel dizzy and lightheaded. I wasn't enjoying our situation one bit.

"Don't be so noble and shut up. What kind of brother would leave his sister to die in a forest filled with Russians? Here take this." He shoved a G18 into my shaking hands. "Don't miss." Tommy joked.

"No promises!" I yelled over the gun fire.

An explosion nearby threw Tommy off his feet, which brought me down with him. My body hit the ground with a thump and we rolled down a rocky hill. I felt my leg snap when it hit a bush on the way down.

"HOLY SHIT!" I screamed. The pain was unbearable now. I must have broken it, which makes my chances of getting out of here even slimmer.

Wait, where was Tommy? Panic began to set in as I looked around for my brother. Finally, I spotted him laying next to a rock. But my rapid heartbeat only picked up when I saw the blood streaming down the side of his head.

"Tommy? TOMMY?!" Oh God please don't let him be dead. I began to crawl over to him, using every bit of strength left in me. After I lightly slapped his cheeks a few times he began to move his head.

"Charlie? Where are you?" I finally reached him and grabbed his shoulder. Quickly he turned over, revealing a large and bloody cut on his forehead.

"You ok?" He said, placing a hand on my arm.

"Well I probably broke my leg...but yeah I am. You?"

"Fine I guess." I gave a weak smile, which fell into a frown when I heard Russian voices approaching us.

**"Sir, I think I saw them go this way." **The voice sounded like it belonged to a younger soldier.

**"Remember comrades, we want them dead. Russia doesn't need anymore POW's." **An older man yelled. Sounds of agreement rang out from the group.

"We should probably get going." Tommy sprang up and grabbed me by the waist, supporting my injured leg. Damn did it hurt. We continued running, well more like limping, away from the Russians who were getting closer by the minute.

"Charlotte..." Started Tommy. This must be serious since he never uses my full name.

"Yeah?" I answered through my clenched teeth.

"If I don't... If we don't make it, I just want you to know I love you. You're the best sister I could have asked for." I could hear them getting closer.

"Tommy we don't have time to be sentimental-"

"No seriously, I mean it. You're like a mother to me. You were always there for me and cared for me when Mom couldn't. I never thanked you for that."

"Well you can do that later. I think we're a little too busy at the moment to be worrying about stuff like that." I felt like I was fading.

**"Sir, I see them!" **_  
_

**"Ptelvoisky shoot the man , he's stronger. He must die first."** Fuck, why did I have to get hurt? Tommy could've gotten out of here if I hadn't. This is all my fault...

**"On my mark. One...Two...Mark."**

I felt Tommy fall to the ground, soon I was crumpled up next to him.

"TOMMY!" Tears began to stream down my face. "Fuck...Tommy...It's ok...I've got you..." I whispered between sobs while applying pressure to his bleeding stomach.

"Charlotte...It's...no use...I...Love you..." He said silently. I laughed weakly as I held his hand. Tears began to fall down my face despite my attempt to hold them back.

"You just told me that..." I know that this wasn't the time for joking, but I needed to distract him from the blood pouring out of his stomach.

He smiled a bit, but went limp shortly after.

"YOU FUCKING BASTARDS KILLED HIM!" I shouted at the Russians. "WHY DON'T YOU FUCKING SHOOT ME TOO? JUST LIKE YOU DID TO HIM!"

They began to laugh. The older one raised his gun at me. I closed my eyes, preparing myself for the pain. I heard him fire, but never felt the bullet hit me. Confused, I opened my eyes. I didn't believe what I saw. The group of Russians began to fall left and right. An older looking man with a bowie hat and a gruff beard had shot the Russian soldier, who was about to do the same to me. A group of soldiers behind him had taken out the rest of the Russian squad. Some of them had a SAS patch on their arm. A large man with a Mohawk began to approach me. I began to back away with what little strength I had left.

"It's ok lass, I won't hurt you." He said with a heavy Scottish accent. "I'm Soap." I stopped and starred at him, tears still pouring down my cheeks. I could barley make out his figure through thanks to the water filling my eyes. My head had never hurt as badly as it did now.

"Who's the lad that was killed?" He asked.

"His name's Tommy, and he's my brother." I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer and I slipped into an unconscious state.

* * *

**5 years later**

"Mummy look! I got a dolly!" Squealed my now three year old daughter Emma. Pink frosting was smeared all over her rosy cheeks. Some even ended up in her curly red hair.

"It even has a pet kitty!" My Grandfather winked at me.

"Honey, open up the big box in the corner." He said. Emma put down the pink plastic doll box and wobbled over to the wrapped surprise. I couldn't wait to see the look on her face. She began to rip open the paper with great force, piling it up on the floor next to her.

"Mummy, why did you get me a box with holes?" I chuckled and made my way over to the confused toddler. I knelt down and helped her open up the box.

"IT'S A KITTY!" She picked up the squealing kitten and began hugging it against her chest.

"You got her a kitten! You know very well that she's too young-" Began my grandmother.

"Oh hush up Mary! It won't hurt her! Besides, look at her face!" Said Gramps. She glanced at Emma and smiled at the young girl. As I was clearing the table for dinner, the phone began to ring.

"I'll get it Gran." I sprinted to the kitchen and picked up the blaring phone.

"Hello?" I was answered by a familiar Scottish voice.

"Charlie, it's Soap. I'm afraid we're going to have to cut your leave short." It was my CO, as well as my closest friend.

"What happened? Is everything alright?" I tried to hide the urgency in my voice, but apparently didn't do a very good job of it.

He chuckled. "Don't worry everything's fine. Shepard's just being an ass again. He wants you to be here to help train the new recruits."

"When did we get new recruits?" The TF 141 hasn't received new recruits in months. There was a pause.

"...Tomorrow..." Soap said cautiously. I almost lost it, but remembered that I was in the presence of my Grandparents and three year old.

"How the hell am I suppose to get to the base by tomorrow?" I whispered into the phone so my family couldn't hear me.

"Don't worry I've sent Nikolai to meet you. And how was Emma's birthday party?"

"I can't give you the full description since we're having it now." My voice still sounded slightly annoyed.

"Oh sorry. You can tell me when you get here." He replied.

"Tell Ghost I said hi. Bye Soap." I hung up the phone. God, how was I suppose to tell Emma I was leaving tomorrow?

"Mummy look at me!" I turned around and saw my daughter dancing in the pink tutu and tiara that Soap and Ghost had sent her. Her green eyes were shinning and she wore a giant grin as she danced with her kitten. How was I supposed to leave her so soon?

* * *

"What do you mean you're leaving? You only got here last week!" Gran said angrily as she was picking up the wrapping paper from this afternoon.

"I have to go back, the General wants-" I started.

"It's always the General! If I ever meet that man I'm going to tell him what I think of him! And do you have to have your gun on you at all times? It's very unnerving." I rolled my eyes. Gran continued to mumble to herself until Gramps spoke up.

"You do what you need to do Charlotte. We'll watch after Emma." He placed a shaking hand on mine and flashed me a smile on his wrinkled face.

"Thanks Gramps. I'm going to go tuck in Emma then go to bed. Night." I made my way up the creaky staircase to Emma's room at the end of the narrow hallway.

"Emma?" I opened the door and found the little girl cuddling her calico kitten. Her head perked up. She smiled, but then noticed my upset expression. "Mummy, why do you look sad?" I sighed.

"I have to go back to work tomorrow sweetie. I'm sorry." Her beautiful face suddenly became soaked with tears. I began to hug her, holding back tears of my own. After about 15 minuets her sobs finally subsided and she fell asleep in my arms. I decided to stay with her for the night, never wanting to let my baby go.

I was about to drift off to sleep at about ten o'clock, but I sprang up when I heard yelling from the living room. It wasn't Gran and Gramps usual bickering. No, it was something foreign.

"Stay away from him!" Yelled Gran.

**"So brave for such an old women."**

Two shots were fired and I heard her scream. Emma sprang up from her sleep.

"Mummy...what's happening? I'm- I'm scared..." Emma squeezed my waist.

"It's ok, everything will be alright." I stroked her hair as I retrieved the pistol from my holster. "Stay here and be quiet." She nodded and I left her room.

**"Go check upstairs. Kill anyone you see." **The voices were getting closer. I hid behind the wardrobe near the stairs, waiting for the Russian to walk by.

As the soldier passed me I pulled my knife out of my belt and placed my hand over his mouth so his screams couldn't be heard. With a quick movement I slashed his throat. Goodnight,I thought. Slowly I made my way downstairs, watching for the creaky steps. My pistol was pointed at the head of one of the soldiers. I pulled the trigger and he fell to the ground. The other turned around and I put a bullet in his brain.

"Charlotte?" Gramps called weakly. I ran over to him laying in a pool of blood next to Gran. A tear ran down my cheek.

"It's ok Gramps, you'll be fine!" I held his hand.

"Get out of here. Get Emma and go. Be a good girl." He closed his eyes.

Not Gramps too. No, no, no...

I heard more gunshots outside. Quickly I wiped the tears from my face and ran upstairs, practically bursting into the little girl's room.

"Emma, we need to leave now. Don't open your eyes until I say so, ok?" She closed them immediately.I grabbed her and hurried to the garage. I opened the door and strapped Emma into her car seat.

"We're going for a ride ok? Keep them closed!" I sped out of the driveway onto the street, which was cluttered with debris and bodies. The roads were crowded with cars.

Russians were everywhere.

How are we going to get out of this? Moments later I felt my pocket vibrate, eventually hearing my cell phone began to ring.

"Hello?" I said, narrowly avoided a falling piece of metal.

"Would you like a ride, Charlie?" Thank God, it was Nikolai!

"Yes! Wait, you weren't suppose to come until tomorrow! What's going on?"

"I'll explain it to you when we get to the base. Meet you in 5 minuets on the freeway." He replied.

"THE FREEWAY WILL BE FUCKING PACKED!" I yelled, forgetting there was a child in the backseat.

"Don't worry just be there!" He hung up. Yup, we're screwed...

I continued to drive towards the freeway. The traffic was terrible and the whole thing seemed like it was going to fall apart, but I still sped through the masses of cars. Emma began to whimper.

"It's ok we'll be there soon hun." I check the mirror. Her eyes were still closed. _  
_

A chopper flew overhead and landed over the side of the freeway. I could see Nikolai in the pilot's seat.

"That's our ride." Swiftly I pulled over and opened my door, then retrieved Emma from the back seat. I threw her over my shoulder and weaved through the rows of cars.

"Now keep your eyes closed!" I yelled to the shaking three year old over the roar of the wings. Quickly, I jumped into the chopper.

"Hello comrade!" Nikolai said as we took off. I returned the greeting and sat down on the floor in the back.

"Can I open them yet?" Asked Emma. I chuckled. "Yes you can." She opened them, her green eyes glanced around the chopper, then they began to spill over with tears. I held her tightly for the rest of the ride to the base.

As I was chatting with Nikolai, I heard a soft meow come from Emma's pocket.

"What was that?" I asked her.

"I brought the Kitty!" She exclaimed. I couldn't help but smile at her. She was just like her uncle.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you for all of the reviews! They really mean a lot to me! Any criticism at all would help me. Well, on with the show.**

**Oh and I forgot to say that I only own Charlie, Emma, and any other characters that don't seem familiar, and that Modern Warfare belongs to its respected owners.**

* * *

"Charlie, we're almost at the base." Yelled Nikolai from the pilot's seat. I opened my eyes and looked down at Emma, who was sleeping peacefully in my arms. The little kitten was stretched out next to her on the ground.

Carefully, I placed Emma on the floor of the chopper and began to crawl over to the small, circle shaped window across from me. The trees were becoming sparse and sand could be seen for miles. Suddenly the barracks and track of the TF 141 came into sight.

Home sweet home. Several minutes later we were landing on the heli pad. Nikolai turned around.

"Here we are! Tell the others I said hi." I picked up my still sleeping daughter and grabbed the whining kitten with my free hand.

"Wait, you're not staying?" I shot him a confused look.

"Sorry, but no. I have to help with the situation in Russia."

"Speaking of which, why were there Russians on my front door?" I asked as I hopped out of the chopper, which made Emma begin to stir.

"They'll explain it to you later!" He began to take off.

"Who will? Nikolai?" I yelled to the ascending bird. _Dammit... _

"I will." Answered a Scottish voice I was all too familiar with. I turned around to see Soap standing a few feet away with his arms crossed. He smiled at me and began to speak again.

"I see that you've brought along some extra luggage. Hello lass." Emma was staring at him, wearing an expression of fear.

"Say hi sweetie." I whispered. The three year old stayed silent.

"It's alright Char. But we need to go meet the new recruits. Ghost is with them now, poor lads. He's probably scared the shite out of them. " He started to walk away. I cleared my throat to grab his attention.

"Um, what about Emma. I don't think she needs to meet them too." Soap stopped and turned around.

"Right... I'll go find Archer. He can watch her while we deal with the fresh meat."

* * *

"LISTEN UP MUPPETS! THE CAPTAIN'S HERE TO SAY A FEW WORDS. IF HE DOES'NT GET EACH OF YOUR FULL ATENTION, THEN THERE WILL BE CONSEQUENCES." Ghost screamed at the five shaking men in front of him. Well, four shaking men. The largest one had a grin on his face and seemed to be enjoying the show Ghost was putting on.

"SIR YES SIR!" He replied. The smaller man next to him looked like he was going to puke.

"Shut up Meat..." He whispered to the smart ass next to him. Ghost began to approach Meat.

"CHEEKY BASTARD! I'M GONNA-" Ghost yelled until Soap interrupted.

"That's enough Ghost. You've put the fear of God in them already so no need to get carried away." He began. Ghost glanced at the captain and began to back away from the soldier. He took his spot on the right side os Soap, while I was on the left.

"Right then. I'm Captain John MacTavish, and this is Lieutenant Charlotte Tyler. Welcome to Task Force 141, the most elite group of soldiers on the planet. Here your skills and abilities in combat will be tested, but that shouldn't be a problem since you've earned your spot. Training will start at 8am sharp and end at 4pm. If you're late then you'll have to run 20 laps around the track, understood?" The five men nodded.

"As for the moment you will be heading over to the pit with Lt. Tyler and Ghost so we can evaluate your skills. Dismissed." The Captain started to head back to his office. I cleared my throat.

"Alright men. Follow me." I turned around and began to walk to the training course, but one of the soldiers fell onto me, bringing the two of us to the ground.

"Oi watch it!" I yelled. Looking up I saw the face of the soldier who was standing next to Meat earlier. I've never seen anyone turn as red as he did. I heard Meat begin to laugh uncontrollably.

"Sorry ma'am.. Tripped on a rock..." He said as he helped me up, his face still red as a beet.

"Well be more careful, they bite sometimes. What's your name?" I asked as I dusted off my pants,

"Sergeant Gary Sanderson, ma'am." He muttered.

"You can drop the ma'am's. Just call me Charlie." I replied.

"Yes ma-, I mean Charlie."

"Ooh looks like Gary made a friend! That's a first!" Meat said, gaining a few laughs from the others.

"Shut up back there! You wankers are giving me a headache!" Ghost yelled from the front of the group. I could tell his already bad mood was about to get worse. These men didn't seem to have the attitude of predigested soldiers.

* * *

"FASTER YOU LITTLE TWAT! WE'RE NOT PAYING YOU TO SIT ON YOUR ARSE!"

Meat had been running the course for over two minuets now. Sweat was pouring off of his face and he was breathing heavily. His shooting skills weren't bad, but his stamina needed some work. About 50 seconds later he crossed-well more like collapsed- at the finish line. Ghost sighed and shock his head.

"That was fucking pathetic." Ghost yelled to him. Sadly he wasn't the worst. A guy named Toad had an even four minuets, while another named Royce ran it in five minuets and eleven seconds. Although Scarecrow had finished it at two minuets and three seconds, none of them so far were able to touch Ghost's time of fifty-three seconds, or get any where near my fifty-seven seconds. Meat limped over to the others and sat on the ground in defeat. Now it was Gary's turn, the scrawniest of the new recruits.

This should be good.

"Sanderson, you're up. On you're go." I called.

He started to sprint towards the targets and the timer began. Gary took down the three targets in front of him effortlessly and moved onto the next area. He threw a flash bang into the window of a fake building, which took out four more of the wooden enemies. Then he sprinted up the staircase and stabbed the enemy at the top. Wasting no time, he shot down the enemies ahead of him, never missing the target or hitting a civilian. He jumped down into the last area, where he did so again. Finally, he shot the last target and sprinted to the finish line.

Ghost and I looked at each other.

59 seconds...

We left the small area that overlooked the course to meet the worn out men.

"That was a damn fine job, Sanderson." I said as I approached him and the other less successful men.

"Alright, that was less than to be desired- for the most part." I glanced at Gary.

"But we'll toughen you guys up. You can have the rest of the day off. Dismissed." Ghost and I turned our backs on the group of men and began to walk towards the barracks.

"So I guess we have a lot of work ahead of us." Said Ghost as we walked back. "Though that Sanderson guy has some potential."

"Some?" I said.

"Alright he was impressive. But we don't know if he'll be like that in actual combat. He might choke as soon as he sees the enemy."

"But you don't get in the 141 for choking." I chuckled.

We finally arrived at the rec room, where Archer was playing doggy with Emma. He looked up at me.

"Look who's here kiddo!" He said to the giggling girl on his back. She looked over at me and jumped off of her "doggy" into my arms.

"Mummy! Where did you go?" Emma said as I hugged her.

"I was working. Did you have a good day with Archer?" She nodded and began to tell me what they did.

"We went on a walk and played with Scarecrow, but he isn't very scary. Oh and we got ice cream from one of the cooks, but Mummy he was scary. His name should be Scarecrow. And look at the collar Archer gave to Peanut!" She held up the squirming kitten that now wore a red ribbon around its neck.

"So where did you get that name?" I asked.

"We found him eating pean-" Her face went blank as she looked over my shoulder at Ghost.

"Mummy...who's that.." Her fear towards Ghost was obvious.

"I'm Ghost. Charlie why did you bring Emma here?" Ghost asked curiously. I stood up and the three year old began to hug my legs.

"Actually, I was about to go ask MacTavish about that. Archer, would you mind watching her for a little longer?"

"Not at all. Come on Emma, want to watch TV?" Archer replied. Emma let go of my legs and ran into the sniper's arms. He picked her up and brought her over to the couch. I started to walk to Soap's office.

"What do you mean about asking MacTavish... Ask him what?" Ghost sounded even more confused now. I turned around.

"I'll tell you after I finish talking to him. See you later."

* * *

I knocked on the door to Soap's office.

"Come in."

I opened the door and entered the tidy office. Soap sat at his desk typing on an ancient computer.

"If Shepherd can afford to buy us the best technology in the world then why are you using that dinosaur of a computer?" I asked.

"Ask the bastard himself." He chuckled. "What's up?"

"Well, I was kind of wondering why were there Russians at my house?" The smiled faded from his face.

"They wanted to find you, Charlie. They found out that you were on leave. I don't know how but they did. They must have assumed that if they captured and tortured you, then you would've said where the base was or anything else they wanted to know about the 141. But that wouldn't of worked. I know you'd never talk."

"Is that why you cut my leave short?"

"Yes. I didn't want to scare you or your family." He continued.

"I wouldn't have been scared." I put my hand on my hip.

"Not scared for yourself. You would've been scared for Emma. I didn't want you to have to worry about her."

"I'll always be worrying about her. And one more question. Why did they attack the whole city instead of just me?" That part didn't make sense.

"They didn't know where you lived, so they looked everywhere. They aren't the brightest you know." He took a sip of coffee.

"How many people died?" I asked. There was pause.

"13,000..." I sat down in the chair across from his desk.

"Oh my God... that many?" I was shocked. That many people died because of me?

"Yes. Did your Grandparents get out?" Before I could stop it, a tear ran down my cheek.

"No..." He got up from his desk and put a hand on my shoulder.

"I'm sorry. They were great people."

I wiped my face with the back of my hand. "I should probably go check on Emma. She doesn't know about them yet. The whole things been a blur to her."

"Alright. If you need anything then let me know." I got up and walked towards the door.

"Thanks Soap."

* * *

**That took forever! But it's done. Thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you for all of the reviews! They really mean a lot to me, so keep them coming! Also, this is probably my last update for a few days. I'm really busy during the week, so expect updates from me mostly on weekends. And let me know if Charlie is becoming a Mary Sue, or if the story is becoming cheesy. Again, only Charlie and Emma belong to me. Thanks to classykazmiller25 for letting me use Jonathon Sanderson!**

* * *

"So they killed your Gran and Gramps? That's rough..." Ghost said as we were running on the track. We were a few yards ahead of Ozone, Archer, and Roach, while Royce, Meat, Scarecrow, and Toad were far behind us, although, I could hear their huffing and puffing loud and clear.

"Yeah, it was." I said, turning my head towards Ghost. He looked unaffected by the 90 degree weather. I on the other hand felt like a sweaty mess.

"How did Emma react when she saw their bodies?" He asked.

"Well, she never actually saw them. I told her to close her eyes when I carried her through the living room. She didn't know anything about it until I told her last night. In fact she took the news pretty well. Never shed a tear." We began to slow down.

"Did she say anything?"

"She did actually. Said that now they were in heaven with Uncle Tommy. God, I never would have thought that she would say that. Although, you never know what's going to come out of her little mouth." Suddenly we heard a yell from Meat.

"Lieutenants! Come here!" I turned around to see the young soldiers standing over Royce. Ghost and I began to sprint towards the group. The huddling men moved away from Royce, who was lying on the ground unconscious.

"What happened to him?" Ghost asked Toad. I kneeled down next to him and slapped his cheeks in attempt to wake him up, which didn't work.

"We were running and he just fucking dropped." Toad answered. By now Archer, Ozone, and Roach had come over.

"Looks like a case of heat stroke." I pointed to Scarecrow and Toad.

"Get him to sick bay. For the rest of you, we're done with training." The others and I began to walk towards the barracks.

_God, I can't wait to take a shower._

* * *

"Come on Mummy! I'm hungry!" Emma whined. She was standing by the door impatiently.

"One second I'm almost done!" After a few more complaints from the whiny three year old, I finally put down the hairdryer.

_The ends are still a bit wet... but eh they'll dry eventually. _

"Alright, let's go. Hey, what's on your face?" I said, noticing a smudge of chocolate on the corner of her mouth.

"Chocolate..." She smiled. "The guy with the funny hair gave it to me!" I grabbed a tissue and wiped her face.

_Good old Soap. _

"Come on. We don't want to miss dinner." I said, leading Emma to the mess hall.

* * *

After a detour to the bathroom and a trip back to our room to get a forgotten teddy bear, we finally arrived to the crowded hall.

"Hey look who finally showed up! I was beginning to think you weren't coming." Called out Soap, who was sitting in the corner across to Ghost.

"This one would never miss sloppy joe night. Stay here while I go get the food, Em." She ran over to the table and sat down in the empty seat next to Ghost.

When I returned to the table I found Emma standing on Ghost's lap, playing with his famous skull balaclava. I almost dropped the tray of food. _He never let's __anyone__ touch it. _Soap seemed very entertained, and was chuckling at the girl, who was poking at the skull's empty eye sockets.

"Ok kid, come dig in." She jumped off of Ghost's lap and sat down in her chair, beginning to devour the meal in front of her. I sat next to Soap and began to eat my own meal. He and Ghost were almost done eating, and were mostly chatting now.

"So how did Royce make out? Is he ok for training tomorrow?" Soap asked, taking the last bit from his sloppy joe.

"I checked in with Doc earlier. He said that Royce was severely dehydrated, so he's sitting out for the next few days." Ghost answered.

"Alright. Make sure the men get plenty of water then. We don't need anyone else having to sit on their ass instead of working. Shepherd'll have mine if he found out that his 'battle hardened warriors' were out 'cause they weren't hydrated. Speaking of which, Shepherd wants to see you later Char."

I looked up from my plate. _Shit, what now?_

"When did he get here?" I asked before taking a sip of diet coke from my glass.

"He hasn't yet. I got a call from him an hour ago saying that he was on his way and that he wanted to talk with you. Didn't say why, but I'm sure it's important. He doesn't come here just for fun, you know." Said Soap.

"Who's Shepherd?" Asked Emma. Food was smeared all over her cheeks, so I grabbed a napkin and cleaned her up before answering.

"He's my boss, the general. Though he isn't very pleasant."

"There's a picture of him on the wall over there." Ghost added, pointing to the official looking portrait of Shepherd on the wall where he was wearing his uniform and a frown on his face. Emma began to giggle.

"He has a funny mustache! It looks like a caterpillar." I began to giggle with her.

"Yeah it kinda does." I glanced over at one of the tables where Meat, Roach, Pharaoh, and Worm were sitting. Royce had just walked in and sat down next to Roach. Meat had gotten up and gone to the kitchen. When he came back he had something in his hand and was smiling. Quietly, he snuck behind Royce and placed the object in his hand down the back of his shirt. Royce jumped up and started to grab at his back.

"HOLY MOTHERFUCKING SHIT!" He screamed, still twisting and turning rapidly. Quickly I put my hands over Emma's ears. A large ice cube fell out of his shirt onto the ground. Meat was roaring with laughter.

"MEAT YOU'RE A FUCKING ASSHOLE!" Yelled Royce, whose face was red.

"What? I was just trying to cool you down mate!" Meat began to laugh even harder. Royce tackled him to the ground, and the two started to throw punches at each other.

Ghost got up from the table and stormed over to the brawling soldiers. He grabbed Royce by the collar of his shirt and threw him on the ground next to him.

"OI! I'M TRYING TO EAT MY SLOPPY FUCKING JOE IN PEACE, SO I DON'T NEED YOU TWO FUCKING ROLLING ON THE GROUND LIKE PUSSIES!" He hit Meat on the back of the head.

"Assholes..." He began to walk back over to our table. Silenced filled the room.

"Well go on with whatever you wankers do!" Ghost ordered. The men began to talk quietly again. Royce and Meat sat back down next to each other, both looking defeated. I uncovered Emma's ears. She looked like she'd just seen (or heard) a ghost. A soldier that looked like he was apart of Shepherd's Shadow Company entered through the doors of the mess hall and started walking towards us.

"I'm guessing that's for me." I said. The large man came over to me and saluted. Soap rolled his eyes.

"At ease."

"Sgt. Jonathon Sanderson here for Lt. Charlotte Tyler at General Shepherd's request." Out of the corner of my eye I saw Roach look over. He seemed uncomfortable.

_I'll ask him later._

"That's me. Em, stay with the captain until I get back." I got up and followed the soldier. A few minuets later we were standing outside of Soap's office, where the general was waiting. Sanderson was about to leave but I began to speak.

"Sergeant, do you know a Gary Sanderson?"

"Yes ma'am, He's my brother."

"Oh. That's all, thank you." He walked away. I stood outside of the office and took a deep breath.

_Here goes nothing. _I knocked on the door.

"Come in." A gruff voice answered. I entered to find Shepherd standing at the window.

"You wanted to see me sir?" Quickly I closed the door.

"Yes Lt. I understand that you've brought your daughter to the base. You know that civilians are not allowed." He turned around.

"Sir, I had too. The Russians were after me and I couldn't leave her behind to be slaughtered." I said.

"Surely you have a family member that is willing to take her in." Shepherd lite a cigar and took a drag from it.

"No sir, I don't." I replied.

"Then I'll arrange for a family to take her in." My heart stopped.

"Sir, can't she stay here? I'm the only family she has left, and I need her as much as she needs me. Please."

"Tyler, you know a military base isn't safe, and every hour she spends here her life is in danger. Besides, she'll distract you from hunting Makarov. I'm not going to let a three year old jeopardize all that we've worked for." He said.

"I promise, sir, that if you let her stay then I'll keep her out of trouble and work even harder at finding Makarov. I understand that she's not safe, but she has no where else to go. Please let her stay, General." I begged. He took another drag from his cigar.

"Alright, she can stay. But if there are any issues I won't hesitate to send her away. Understand?"

"Yes sir, thank you sir." He left the room. I sank in the large wooden chair in the corner of the room.

_Thank god..._


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm back! Sorry for not updating during the week. As I said, I was very busy. So here's the next chapter!**

* * *

I got up from the chair in the captain's office soon after the general left. I began looking for Emma. As I walked down the hall I saw Archer and Worm, who were talking outside of their room. Archer looked up and smiled.

"Hey Charlie. What's up?" He said. I came closer to the two men.

"Just looking for Emma. Have you seen her?"

"Yeah she was with MacTavish in the rec room." Archer answered. I took off and yelled a thank you over my shoulder.

Finally I reached the rec room. When I walked in, I saw the three year olds red curls leaning on Soap's shoulder. I went over to the two and sat down next to him, seeing that Emma was asleep. Soap was focused on the football match between Liverpool and Manchester City on the TV. He looked over at me.

"Hello lass. How'd it go with Shepherd? He said.

"Pretty good actually. We had a chat about Emma. He's worried that she'll distract me from finding Makarov, and wanted to send her away." A concerned look crossed his face.

"Wait, is he?"

"Well, he said that she could stay. But if she caused any trouble he'd send her to another family. I was so nervous I was almost shaking. Though I had to control it since the bastard smells fear." Soap chuckled.

"Too true. At least she's here." He put an arm around her.

Liverpool had scored and the crowd on the television were going wild. The score was now 5-3 with about 30 seconds left in the second half. Seeing it was pointless to watch the rest of the match, the captain changed the channel to the news. After about five minuets of watching boring stories, I got up and went to the pool table, where Gary and Pharaoh were playing.

"Mind if I join?" I asked, leaning against the wall.

"Sure. I'm calling it quits anyway." Said Pharaoh. He handed me the cue and left the room. I leaned down and angled the long stick at the ball. Then I struck it, which made one of the balls role into the far side corner.

"So I met your brother Jonathon. He seems nice." I said. He stayed silent.

"You don't seem too thrilled about him. Mind if I ask why?"

"Well, we kind of had a falling out...It's complicated..." Gary looked away. After an awkward moment of silence I spoke up.

"Hey want to go get a drink in the café? I know where the chef hides his stash of beer."

"I thought drinking on base was against the rules?"

"Psh! It's only against the rules if you get caught." I replied.

"But the rule book says-"

"Wait, you actually read the rule book? Man you need to let loose a little. C'mon Sanderson. We're getting you a beer."

* * *

"All clear." Gary said. Quickly we crept into the kitchen. I got up on the counter and lifted up the broken ceiling tile. I grabbed the case of Budweiser and handed it to Gary. He opened a can and handed it to me. Then he took a sip from his .

"Mmmm I haven't had one of these in months." Gary said. I shot him a confused look.

"You've only been here for a few days..."

"Yeah but my last CO was a bitch." He gulped down the rest of his beer. Suddenly the door opened and Meat and Royce walked in. The two recruits had grown rather close since the ice cube incident.

_Shit...This won't end well._

"Hey what do we have here?" Said Royce. A smile crept onto the two men's faces when they saw the large pack of beer. Meat began to reach for one of the unopened cans. I quickly grabbed it away from him.

"Oi! It's ours!" I said.

"Come on! Sharing is caring!" Meat replied, flashing me puppy eyes. Gary glanced at me. _That would probably be a bad idea..._

"Fine, but just one!" They grabbed the beer and began chugging it down.

"You're my favorite Lieutenant, you know that!" Meat exclaimed.

"I don't think she had much competition in the first place Meat." Said Royce, opening up his second can. I looked over at Gary, who was already on his third.

_**20 Minuets later...**_

"Hey Royce. Guess what?" Meat said, slurring his words.

"What Beef?" Royce said, downing another beer.

"Chicken butt!" Meat began to laugh uncontrollably.

The kitchen was littered with empty cans and smelled strongly of alcohol. Each of the three men had drunk at least eight or ten beers each. I had only had three or four, since there was a little person depending on me. Gary was passed out in the corner, and Royce and Meat were leaning on each other against the stainless steel fridge. I glanced over at Gary, who had a moving spot on his face. I got up from the tiled floor and looked closer at it.

"OH MY GOD, GARY WAKE UP! THERE'S A BUG ON YOUR FACE!" I yelled. He sprang awake. Meat groggily looked over at him.

"Roach, there's a Gary on your face! You gotta kill it!" He said.

Royce grabbed the broom that was leaning against the wall and started to whack the cockroach on Gary's face. He missed several times, but succeed in hitting Gary in the eyes, causing the young solider to start wailing his arms in order to keep the broom away.

"SHIT ROACH STAY STILL!" Royce yelled. By now Ghost and Soap had ran in. They both stood in the doorway, shocked by the scene in front of them.

"What the bloody hell?" Ghost said.

"What's going on here?" Soap asked. Meat started to speak.

"Roach has a Gary on his face. Wanna beer?" The drunk man held up a half drunk beer to Ghost, who knocked it to the ground.

My two CO's looked at me. "Care to explain?" Soap said. "Well, not really..." I said. A car door was slammed shut outdoors, meaning the 6"2 chef was back from the store.

The chef came in through the back door and dropped the bag of groceries he was holding. His face turned red and he stormed over to me.

"I TOLD YOU TO NEVER TOUCH MY FUCKING BEER AGAIN! His finger was in my face. I started to back away.

"No, you said not to touch it. You never said not to drink it." I said.

He slapped my cheek and shoved me into the wall. "BITCH!"

I punched him in the side of his head, causing him to fall over. Soap grabbed the back of his collar and threw him out the still opened door.

"Get out!" Soap slammed the door shut, looking pissed. He turned around and walked towards me.

"You ok Char?" The captain asked. He gently touched where the chef's hand had slapped my cheek.

"Just dandy." I said as I stared into his icy blue eyes.

"Hey Cap, got anymore beer? Roach's out." Said Meat. He was pointing to Gary, who was nursing a black eye and holding an empty can.

"Assholes..." Ghost muttered.

"Get up and go back to your rooms. Now." Soap grabbed a wasted Gary and Royce and pushed them out of the kitchen. Ghost did the same to Meat, who was poorly reciting the alphabet. Soap turned to me.

"Are you sure your alright?"

"C'mon MacTavish I'm not six years old. I've been hit a lot harder before." I said.

"Fine. I'll walk you back to your room. You probably want to sleep off your hangover."

"Hey I only had a few. Roach on the other hand had a few too many." We started to walk.

"You mean Gary?" He chuckled.

"Um yeah him. Maybe I do need a nap."

* * *

"But I'm not tired!" Emma whined. I continued to button up the front of her pajama top despite her protest.

"It's 8:30! You need to go to sleep!" She frowned. Slowly she got into the cot at the end of my bed. I pulled the covers over her and tucked her in tightly.

"Mummy, why is your cheek red?"

"I've just had a long day, that's all." I replied.

"Oh. I had a fun day! Soap's really funny!" Emma giggled.

"And why's that?" I asked.

"Because he fell asleep on the couch after you left. And he makes really funny noises when he sleeps!" She smiled.

"I wonder if daddy made funny noises in his sleep." Emma continued. My heart stopped.

_You have no idea..._

* * *

**DUN, DUN, DUN! That's right, I made a reference to Emma's father! But who is he? Well, I know, but still! Thanks for reading! **


	5. Chapter 5

**So I've realized that my chapters have been getting shorter and shorter... I'm going to try and fix that. Anyways, thanks for the reviews! You guys are awesome! **

* * *

"Wake up, wake up! I'm hungry!" Emma was jumping on my back and pulling my hair. I glanced over at the beeping alarm that said 7:30 am. Groggily, I slammed my hand over the snooze button and rolled over. _When did I fall asleep? _

"Mummy! Get up!" She started to play with my face. I sat up and pulled the blankets off of my body. The cool morning air stung my bare legs. _I'm defiantly not a morning person... _I looked down at myself, and noticed that I was still in my clothes from yesterday. Sighing, I grabbed fresh clothes and started to walk towards the small bathroom in our room.

"Breakfast is this way, not in the bathroom!" Said Emma, pointing at the door that opened to the hallway.

"Just give me a second to change. And you should do the same!" She looked down at her nightgown, which had a picture of Cinderella on it. Emma pouted and walked over to the dresser, where she grabbed the clothes I had laid out for her the day before. I made a mental note to brush her curly red hair before we went to the mess hall.

In the bathroom I proceeded to put on my clothes. When I turned around to face the mirror, I noticed a large red mark on my cheek. Not to mention I looked like hell other wise. With the little makeup I had I tried to cover up the mark, but couldn't get it to disappear. After five minuets of doing so, the whining from the other room became louder, so I opened the door and with more complaints from the three year old, grabbed the comb and began to brush her hair.

"There. Now we can go." I put down the comb as Emma ran out of the room.

* * *

"Hey Gary!" I yelled out. The young sergeant turned around. His black eye didn't look much better from yesterday, and he seemed to still be nursing a hangover.

"Oh hey Lieutenant. Hi Emma." He said. "You mind telling me what the hell happened yesterday and why I've got this on my face? I just remember something about a roach..."

"Well, you had a bit much to drink and passed out. A roach ended up on your face and Royce thought that whacking you with a broom would be the best way to get it off. That's why you've got that beauty on your eye." I replied.

"God, I hope Meat and Royce won't bring it up."

"You're probably screwed mate. Sorry." We opened the doors to the cafeteria. Emma ran ahead to our usual spot next to Ghost and Soap. Meat and Royce came up to Gary and I.

_This should be good._

"Look it's Roachy! Hey Roach!" Meat grinned. Royce grabbed Gary and put him in a headlock.

"I found another of your little friends in my bed last night. Scared me shitless. You didn't put it there, right?" Royce said. His grip on Gary tightened.

"No! And my names Gary. God, Charlie would you mind helping me a little bit?"

"Sorry Roach. I'm hungry, and food comes before bugs in my books." I said. A rang of laughter came from the men. Well, excluding Gary, who was struggling to break free from Royce's grip.

I walked over to my table. The two soldiers and little girl were eating crackers and cheese.

"This is what were having for breakfast? Whatever happened to waffles and pancakes?" I said.

"Well, we would be having those if the captain here didn't fire the chef. The bastard took off with all of the groceries in his car." Ghost said.

"Shut up and eat your crackers, Ghost." Soap said, taking a bite from the cracker in his hand. Emma's chin was on the table. She was staring at her "breakfast" in disgust.

"I'm going to see if I can make anything better. Do I have permission to go to the supermarket after, Captain?"

"Sure. I'll come too if you want. It's an hours drive and we'll need to get a ton of food. I should probably call Shepherd about hiring a new cook after this."

"Alright. I'll be back in a bit." I turned around and started to make my way towards the kitchen. When I got there I saw that the beer cans from yesterday were gone and the floor had been mopped. I opened the cabinet where we keep cereal, only to see it was empty. Then I opened the refrigerator, where three boxes of pie crust and a few eggs were sitting. I heard the door open and turned to see Archer walked in.

"Morning. What's for breakfast?" He said.

"I'm trying to figure that out now. Want to help me?" I answered.

"Sure. What do we have to work with?"

"Well, some milk, pie crust, eggs, spinach, soup, and I think I saw some fruit on the counter."

"That's rough. Although, we could make quiche." The sniper said.

"What the bloody hell is that? Sounds terrible."

"It's like a pie thing. We can have that or nothing. Your choice."

"Fine. I think I know where the recipe book is."

* * *

"PUT IT OUT! THAT SHIT'S BIG!" Yelled Archer. The meal we have been working on for a half an hour had caught on fire, which was now growing rapidly. I grabbed the fire extinguisher and released the foam onto the quiche. The smoke alarm was beeping like crazy, and Soap and Ghost had now rushed into the room.

"What the fuck?" Ghost said, waving his hand in front of his mouth to get the smoke out of his face.

"Yeah I think we should go to the store now Soap. Breakfast just isn't going to happen today." I said between coughs. By now Emma had entered the kitchen.

"Can I come?" She said. Soap picked her up and held her on his hip.

"Of course lass! C'mon, lets go get the truck." Soap walked out of the room with Emma and I followed shortly after.

* * *

"There isn't a car seat?" I asked. We were standing in the garage next to the jeep that we were going to take into town.

"It's an elite military base Char. Think a little. Why the hell would we have a car seat?" Soap replied. He got into the driver's seat. "Just hold her in your lap, I guess."

"Sure because that's safe..." I picked Emma up and got into the car, then buckled both of us in. Soap started the engine and we took off. After about 20 minuets of driving in silence other than the radio, I spoke up.

"So, when are we going on another mission? We've never had a break from Makarov for this long." I said. Emma was playing with a shoelace that was found on the floor of the jeep.

"I don't know. The bastard is pretty unpredictable. Although, we did receive some Intel last night. It had something to do with one of Makarov's weapons dealers. It's not very solid at the moment, but we should be seeing some action in a few days." He replied.

"Good because I'm starting to get restless. Training is great don't get me wrong, but some real action would be nice."

"Wait, you actually like training? I thought Ghost was a bitch when it comes to that." He chuckled.

"I was being sarcastic. Anyways, what do we need to get?" Soap handed me the list from his pocket. I unfolded it. The paper unrolled into my lap.

"Oh shit that's a lot of food. I never thought that we ate that much."

"Well we didn't until Royce and Toad came. I'm scared to see how much they weigh." The scot said.

"What are you talking about? They're all muscle!"

"Oh so you think they're hot? I didn't know you had a crush them! Wait till I tell them. You'll never hear the end of it!" He chuckled.

"Hey I do not! I was just saying-"

"Nope too late! I'm telling them!" He interrupted. His laughter became louder.

"You sound like a twelve year old girl!" I said. We haven't had such a let loose conversation like this since our days in the SAS.

"Well then I'm a twelve year old girl with a badass Mohawk." He reached up and stroked his beloved hair.

"Both hands on the wheel please." I reached over and punched his arm playfully.

"Ouch that really hurt, Char." He said. We could see the town in the distance.

"Go cry to your pillow." I replied. Emma threw the string back onto the floor.

"Are we there yet?"

"Almost Em. Just sit tight." Soap said.

"Well there's nothing else to do..." The girl said. I could see the town begin to appear in the distance.

* * *

"What do you mean they're out of bananas? Why the hell do they not have bananas?" I said to Soap.

"I don't know. Other people besides you like them. It happens. We'll just get them next time." He was gathering a bunch of green beans and putting them into a clear bag.

"They're a good source of potassium! I need them!"

"Oh well. Can you get the peppers?" Frustratingly, I nodded a yes and proceeded to put the red and green peppers into a bag. Suddenly, I heard a loud noise come from the other side of the aisle. I turned around to see Emma standing in the middle of hundreds of potatoes on the ground. A thin woman with blonde hair and blue heels was also stranded in the sea of potatoes.

"Emma, what did you do?" I said to the three year old. Her bottom lip began to tremble and she looked down at her feet.

"I don't know..." She said. Tears began to fall down her cheeks. Soap waded through the vegetables and kneeled down next to her.

"Hey don't cry kiddo. We can clean this up." He picked up one of the potatoes and handed it to her. "See they don't bite." Emma began to giggle. The woman looked over at the two.

"What an adorable little girl you have! I've never seen a father be so patient with their child." She said. Soap stood up.

"Actually she's not mine. But thank you. I'm John MacTavish by the way." He smiled at her and reached out his hand, which the woman shook firmly.

"Cynthia Lowe. Sorry but I could have sworn-"

"John we should go. It's getting late." I interrupted. He turned his head in my direction.

"One sec." He mouthed. "So does Cynthia have a phone, because I'd love to have her number." _Cheesy bastard._

"Sure! Here you go!" She giggled. Cynthia took a piece of paper out of her large purse and scribbled the number on it. She handed it to Soap and said goodbye before walking away. By then Emma and I had finished picking up the potatoes.

"What was that?" I asked.

"What was what?" Soap turned to me.

"That was the cheesiest pick up line I have ever heard."

"Well it worked, didn't it? I got her number." He said. We began to walk towards the register. Both of were pushing two carriages each.

"It could be fake for all you know. Besides, she could be a serial killer."

"Sure, and I'm the Cheshire Cat." Emma giggled at this. After a 20 minuet check out and a long argument between the cashier and I over the price of some supposedly half off soda bottles we finally made it back to the jeep.

* * *

When we arrived back at the base an hour later, we were met by Ghost in the garage.

"Shepherd's on the phone, sir." He said.

"Did he say what it was about?" Soap asked as he was unloading the tightly packed vehicle.

"No but he said it was urgent. I'm assuming Makarov has played his next hand." Ghost said.

"Well isn't it about time. We've been expecting him."

* * *

**That took forever (as always) but it's done! Sorry it wasn't very exciting. I promise the next chapter will be!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks again for all of the support! And wow 1,000 views! You guys are awesome! I'm debating when I should start up the MW2 missions. Any advice would help me at this point. Jonathon Sanderson belongs to classykazmiller25. You should go check out his stories, since they're awesome! And I'd love to see some updates from you guys who write. I've been wicked board all week since I've had almost nothing to read... Anyway, here's chapter 6!**

* * *

"Yes sir. I'll gather the team at 1700. We won't disappoint you." Soap hung up the phone. Ghost and I were gathered around his desk, waiting to hear what the general had said. Ghost cleared his throat and began to speak.

"So was Shepherd's lead viable?" Soap leaned back in his large and worn leather chair.

"Seems so, although we won't know until we get back. It seems like Makarov's just playing with us, since we've been on countless missions without finding a trace of him. I'd be surprised if we get any real Intel out of it. Though you never know, Shepherd could be right for once."

"Are you kidding me? We haven't had a solid lead in months, and I doubt our luck will get any better now." Said Ghost.

"Come on Ghost, you've got to be optimistic. Maybe we will find something." I said, turning to the masked Lieutenant.

"Ghost doesn't have an optimistic bone in his body. He's not the kind of guy who thinks the glass is half full or half empty, but the kind who thinks the glass is shattered and the liquid is all over the floor. You should know that by now, Char." Chimed in Soap.

"Thanks a lot..." Ghost said sarcastically. "But I'll buy you both a drink if we do find anything, which is highly unlikely in my opinion. I bet the only thing that the 141 will get are bruises and broken bones."

"That's a bet. And if we come back empty handed then I'll buy you a drink. Deal?" I put out my hand. Ghost shook it.

"Deal."

* * *

"GO LEFT!" Yelled Toad as I walked into the rec room. Him and Worm were playing some racing video game, and he was a few laps behind by the looks of it. Archer was sitting on the couch next to Toad. The older sniper seemed annoyed by the sound of Toad rapidly clicking and flicking the buttons on the controller. The screen of the TV was now flashing the word "WINNER!" Worm leaned back and put his hands behind his head, while Toad had thrown the controller on the floor and said a few "choice words."

I turned my attention to the corner of the room, where Emma was playing with Peanut. Roach was reading a magazine on the ground next to her.

"Hey Charlie. How'd the meeting go?" He asked, looking up at me. I sat down next to him.

"Fine. MacTavish wants everyone in the war room at 1700. It seems like you're going on your first mission."

"Oh great..." He looked down to the floor. I sat down next to the young sergeant.

"What's wrong? Aren't you excited?" I asked.

"Yeah I guess. I just always get nervous before missions. But I'll be fine." He said.

"Well those nerves better turn into adrenaline. Shepherd expects nothing short of perfection." The three year old walked over to us, holding the small kitten. "And thanks for watching Emma." I continued.

"No problem. She's a good little tike." He smiled. I grabbed Emma's hand.

"See you later Roach!" I said as I began to walk away.

"My name's Gary!" He called, sounding very annoyed.

"Yeah, whatever Roach."

* * *

"Listen up ladies. We haven't got all day so pay attention to the Captain." Said Ghost. The last of the soldiers had just walked into the war room. I was standing at the front of the room next to Ghost and Soap, who had just cleared his throat.

"Right then. The objective for this mission is to infiltrate the warehouse of Alexei Baskov, one of Makarov's main weapon dealers. We believe that some of his files contain information as to where Makarov is hiding, so we have to push our way through to here." Soap pointed to the map on the large screen that had lettered points on it. The files were located in the office of the large warehouse, and was surrounded by a maze of hallways and underground tunnels.

"The room is heavily guarded, so stealth's not an option. There should be a couple hundred soldiers on the premises, but they are mostly located near the front, back, and side gates. In order to have a chance against the Russians, Shepherd lent us about a dozen members of his Shadow Company. They'll meet us about five miles to the south of the warehouse. These men are tough bastards, so don't mess with them." He glanced at Meat, who was snickering.

"Now Archer and Toad will be sniping from this ridge overlooking the area." Soap pointed to their planned location.

"Charlie, Scarecrow, Ozone, Roach, and I will be in charge of getting the Intel and will enter through the tunnel system underneath the warehouse at point A." He paused.

"Meat, Ghost, Royce, and Pharaoh will breach through the outer wall at point B. You'll enter the warehouse and fight your way to the outside of office and guard it until we get there . Rook, Peasant, Robot, Worm, and Zach are going to breach at point C, then rendezvous with the Shadow Company members, who will breach at points D and E. You'll be in charge of cleaning up any resistance." Sounds of agreement rang out from around the room.

"We'll be leaving at 2200. Any questions?" The men stayed silent.

"Alright. Dismissed." They began to leave the room, including Ghost and Soap, but Roach stayed seated. I walked up to the solider, who looked upset.

"What's wrong?" I sat down next to him.

"You wouldn't happen to know if Jonathon will be coming, do you?" He asked.

"I don't know. Why?"

"I was just wondering... I'll see you later." He got up from the chair and left the room.

_That was weird._

* * *

"When will you be back?" Asked Emma. She was sitting on the edge of the bed while I finished putting on my gear. It was almost eleven o'clock, and she looked as though she was going to fall asleep at any moment.

"I'm not sure Hun. But I'll be back in no time, don't worry." I said. We were leaving in less than half an hour and I was making sure I had everything I needed.

Someone knocked on the door. "Come in." I called. Soap entered, wearing his gear and uniform.

"You almost ready, Char?" He asked as he sat down next to Emma on the bed.

"Yeah. Is Nikolai on his way?" I asked.

"He should be here soon." Emma looked up at the Captain.

"Are you leaving to?" She asked. Soap put an arm around her and began to speak.

"I am. But it'll be ok." She put her arms around as much of his large waist as she could. I could hear the sound of the chopper land outside.

"We should get going. C'mon lets go find Doc. You're going to stay with him while we're gone, so be a good girl." I said.

* * *

"ETA in five minuets." Called Nikolai from the pilot's seat. I was sitting between Ghost and Soap, who were loading their weapons. Roach, Meat, and Royce sat across from us. For once they were all silent, and were acting like actual soldiers instead of 6th graders.

The five minuets passed, but it felt like an eternity. I had almost forgotten the about the unspoken tension that occurred before a mission, but I was fully aware of it now. I could see the Shadow Company's chopper land just a bit ahead of us in the clearing. Our own chopper began to descend as well.

"Ready to kick some ass, Captain?" I said as we stood up.

"Aren't I always?" He replied. Ghost looked over at us.

"You two are so fucking lame." He yelled as we ran out of the chopper.

"Way to ruin the moment there, Ghost." I said. He made a sound of annoyance.

One of the Shadow Company members ran up to Soap. Amazingly, he was even taller and larger than the TF captain.

"Are you Captain John MacTavish?" The gruff voice asked. Soap nodded.

"I'm Canine. I've given my men their tasks, so say the word and we're ready to go." He said. The other SC soldiers were surrounding Canine.

"Alright men, let's move out." Yelled Soap.

_And woman. _I thought.

* * *

"Move up." I called to the men behind me. Soap, Roach, Scarecrow, Ozone, and I had just reached the tunnels that lead to the warehouse's office. Reaching this point wasn't very difficult, since we were only met by a dozen or so Russians. The others weren't as lucky.

"Ghost, how are you holding up?" MacTavish said into his com.

"Oh it's a fucking tea party up here!" He yelled. Soap rolled his eyes.

"You'd better hurry up 'cause they're coming from all sides! We've only got so much ammo!" Ghost continued. Ozone took point and turned the corner, giving us the clear signal.

"Any casualties?" Soap asked.

"One of the SC's has a minor shoulder injury, but they'll be a lot more if you don't come soon!" The Lieutenant said.

"Alright. We'll see you soon mate." The captain began walking ahead.

Suddenly, the tunnel turned white and I was thrown off my feet. I picked myself up off of the ground and grabbed Roach, who was still down. The ringing in my ears was unbearable, but I was still able to help the young sergeant to his feet.

"AMBUSH!" Yelled Scarecrow.

_No shit._

I fired into the clearing haze. One of my shots hit a Russian in the middle of his forehead, while another flew through a man's chest, causing his body to hit the ground. I ducked behind a barrel to reload when I heard Soap yell.

"Clear!"

We continued to travel through the maze of tunnels. Once again we were met by Russian forces.

"Are we almost there Captain?" Yelled Ozone over the gunfire.

"I think the door should be just around this corner! Toss some frags to lighten them up!"

I grabbed a grenade from my belt and ripped out its pin. Quickly, I threw it ahead. Roach did the same. Seconds later a loud explosion occurred, sending limbs, flesh, and blood flying through the air. Only a few Russians remained after, which we easily picked off. We moved up to the ladder leading to the office above. I could hear Russian voices yelling above.

"Roach, soften them up!" Commanded Soap. Roach took a frag and unpinned it, then threw it into the room above. The Russians screamed in pain, but soon it was quiet in the office. Soap went first up the ladder. He checked the room for any survivors.

"Come up!" He yelled down to us. We all climbed up the ladder and hopped into the cluttered room.

"Looks like they took it all." Said Roach.

"See if they've left anything behind." Ordered the captain. I went over to the large desk and began to search for any Intel that may be useful. I began to lose hope as I searched the empty draws, but as I kneeled down on the floor, I noticed something sticking out of top of the desk. I ripped the poorly built desk apart in order to get to the red looking object.

"Charlie, what are you doing?" Asked Soap as walked towards me.

"I think I see something." I said as I ripped the last piece of wood off. There was a red folder with the word "CLASSIFIED" written in Russian layng in a secret compartment. I flipped through it and found just about anything you'd want to know about Makarov.

"Here." I smiled as I handed it to Soap. He did the same once he saw what was in it.

"I guess Ghost owes us a few drinks. C'mon, let's go help the bastard out."

* * *

"LEFT SIDE, LEFT SIDE!" Screamed Ghost. Russians were advancing on their position quickly by the looks of it. I began shooting my automatic rifle into the hoards of soldiers.

"Need any help?" Soap yelled.

"It's about bloody time! Did you find anything?" He asked.

"Yeah! I'm going to call in Nikolai!" Soap began to call the pilot.

"I need a mag!" Yelled Roach. I quickly threw him one of my last. Just before he caught it a bullet flew through his lower abdomen. He fell to the ground.

"ROACH!" I ran over to him and began to apply pressure to his bloody wound. One of the Shadow Company soldiers came over to his side as well.

"It's going to be fine." I said to him before turning my head towards the others. "MACTAVISH WE NEED TO LEAVE! NOW!" The SC soldier began to speak.

"Come on Gary, get up!" He helped him get to his feet. Roach looked at him.

_I know that voice. _

"Jonathon?" He said weakly.

"Yeah, yeah it's me. C'mon, we're leaving." Jonathon began to sprint to the LZ. I got up and followed, but soon after I was thrown to the ground. An Ultranationalist was on top of me and was attempting to slit my throat. I pushed him off of my body, but he succeeded in stabbing my thigh before I could get fully away. He was about to stab my neck when he suddenly fell limp. Blood gushed from his head. I looked up to see Soap returning his pistol to his holster. He grabbed my arm and pulled me up.

"Can you walk?" He yelled over the gunfire.

"I guess." I replied.

"Good enough!" We took off towards the chopper. After dodging countless bullets and stumbling a few times, we finally made it to the LZ. I hopped onto the chopper and pulled Soap in after me. We ascended into the air and began to take off towards the base. Exhausted, I sat down. Soap collapsed next to me. I glanced to the back of the chopper, where Roach was being treated by Worm and Pharaoh. Jonathon was sitting next to him on the ground.

"What happened to him? And who's that?" Asked Soap.

"He got shot. And that's his brother, Jonathon." Soap just nodded.

"I'll figure that out later...So how are you? That leg doesn't look too pretty." He said. I glanced down at the bloody mess.

"It's ok. I'll live. But I wouldn't mind a pain killer or two." I replied. He chuckled and pulled a pill out of his pocket.

"Like this?" He put it into my hand. Ghost looked over.

"Sir, why the hell would you carry that around?" He asked.

"Well you never know when you're going to need it. And anyways, I think you owe Charlie and I a drink or two." Soap said. Ghost rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.

"Assholes..."

* * *

**Urg I feel like that was really crappy but it's almost four am, so it'll do. Thank you all again!**


	7. Chapter 7

**This will probably be rather short, but I'll try to update again tomorrow night. Thanks again for all of the support, and once again Jonathon belongs to classykazmiller25. By the way, I never told you where Charlie was from. She's from Liverpool but has an Irish background. She also has green eyes and red/orange hair like Emma. (Forgot to mention that too)**

* * *

"Wake up lass, we're almost at the base." Soap nudged me with his elbow. I apparently had fallen asleep, since daylight was shining through the chopper windows. The other soldiers seemed to be slowly waking up as well.

"Ow..." I complained. My thigh still hurt like hell and was covered in dirt and dry blood.

"Oi, be thankful that you didn't end up like Roach." Soap replied as he pointed to the corner where the young sergeant was laying. His torso was covered in gauze and he had a pained expression on his face. I was pretty damn lucky compared to him, but that still didn't make the pain in my leg any better.

"Gary's new call sign fits him. The bug's hard to kill." Said Ghost. The Lieutenant lifted his mask above his mouth and lit a cigarette, which he proceeded to inhale.

"Now do you really have to do that? It smells terrible." I said between coughs. He took another drag.

"Well, I'm gonna need a few of these before tonight. MacTavish isn't very pretty when he's drunk, you know."

_I know that better than anyone..._

"Don't worry, I'll be on my best behavior since I'm inviting Cynthia to come with us. You know, like a double date." Soap said. I didn't think he was actually interested in her. I mean she was pretty, but he'd just met her.

"What do you mean a 'double date'? Ghost and I are aren't a couple if you haven't noticed." I said. By the looks of it, Ghost didn't seem too keen on MacTavish's statement either.

"I said I'd buy you and Charlie a drink, not some random girl you picked up in a supermarket. Sorry Captain, but I don't do dates."

"C'mon Ghost. Don't you want me to have friends other than you sad lot? I'll even pay for her to-" Soap began.

"No." Ghost replied. I agreed with him. We've all been friends for almost four years now, and I'm not too thrilled about letting some blonde jeopardize that.

"Fine then. I order you to let her come." A smile crept onto the Scot's face. He knew he'd won, since Ghost never disobeys higher authority. He always follows orders, no matter how stupid they are. Ghost grunted and crossed his arms.

"Fuck you..."

* * *

"Royce and Pharaoh, get Roach to sick bay. You should probably go to, Charlie." Soap called out as he exited the chopper. Nikolai waved and then took off.

I was surprised to see that Jonathon didn't follow his wounded brother. Instead, he took off towards the barracks with a pissed look on his face. I shrugged and started to walk (or limp) to sick bay. When I finally arrived twenty minuets later, I found Roach laying in a hospital bed being treated by Doc.

"Hey Charlie. What's up?" Doc said over his shoulder. He was cleaning Roach's wounds with some nasty looking liquid and was rapping his torso with a thick bandage.

"Well, I sorta kinda got stabbed in the thigh. Think you could help me out?" I asked as I slowly sat down in one of the nearby chairs.

"How'd that happen?" He asked.

"Well, I was helping Roach, but when I got up some bastard tackled me to the ground. You can figure out the rest." I said. He didn't have to know who shot the Ultranationalist.

"Soap killed him, didn't he?" Doc replied.

_Damn he's good._

"Yeah..."

"He's always the one to get you out of a mess." He chuckled and got up from Roach's bedside. I was starting to become pissed off by him.

"What's that suppose to mean?" I demanded. He stayed quiet.

_If anything he gets me into messes..._

Doc sat down next to me and began to clean the blood and dirt off of my thigh.

* * *

After my trip to the "ER", I made my way to the rec room on a pair of crutches. But when I passed the gym, I heard someone in there grunting heavily._ Who in their right mind would work out after a mission?_ I opened the large door and found Jonathon lifting weights.

"Excuse me, but what are you doing?" I called out. He looked over at me and got up from the bench, placing the weights on the ground.

"I'm blowing off some steam ma'am." He replied coldly.

"Well you're going to have to do that somewhere else. The gym closes at six, and it's 6:32." I said. He looked even more upset now.

"What's wrong? Are you worried about Roach, because he's-" I began but was interrupted.

"His name's Gary, and I don't care if he's fine, injured, or dead. He's gonna die one of these days due to his carelessness, so why do I care?"

"Chill out. He's your brother, so go check on him. It's what siblings do." I said.

"Hell no! He's a worthless piece of shit and-" Now I interrupted him.

"And he won't be here someday, so stop being a fucking pussy and spend some time with him while you still can. Some of us don't have that luxury." With that I stormed out of the room. I couldn't stop thinking about Tommy. I would do anything to have him back here with me, and then there are people like Jonathon, who are too blind to see what they have.

I kept clickity-clacking down the hall with my crutches until I got to the rec room. I opened the door and entered the crowded room.

"Hey Charlie! Wait what's wrong?" Asked Archer. He and a few others were sitting around the poker table.

"Nothing. I'm fine." I replied, trying to wipe the frown off of my face. He just shrugged and went back to the game. Suddenly, I felt little arms wrap around my good leg.

"You're back! Mummy, what happened to your leg?" Emma asked, looking up at me.

"I just got into a little accident, that's all. How are you, hun?" I asked.

"Fine. I was really bored while you were gone. But Peanut found a dead mouse. Ick!" She made a face at the thought of the detesting creature. I could hear Soap talking on the phone across the room.

"Alright Cyn. I'll see you at eight." He hung up the phone. Looking over he saw Emma and I, and he walked towards us.

"Hello ladies. How are you doing?" He said. A huge smile was painted on his face. I on the other hand, was not amused.

"Why did you call her Cyn?" I asked somewhat viciously.

"I don't know. I guess it's short for Cynthia. Why do you care?" Soap said. The smile faded.

"I don't... I..well...what time are we leaving?" The annoyance was apparent in my voice.

_Why do I care what he calls her?_

"Just be ready by seven." He walked away without another word.

* * *

I checked myself over in the mirror. It was almost seven and Soap would be coming any minuet now to get me. I wasn't dressed up by any means. My orange hair was down and I wore jeans and a sweatshirt. I didn't look bad, but I didn't look as exceptional as I imagine Cynthia will look.

"You ready Char?" Soap called from the hallway. I opened the door and joined him in the hall. He looked pretty damn good. His Mohawk was much neater than usual and he wore a leather jacket, as well as a white shirt on under it that showed off his muscles.

"Where's Emma?" He asked.

"She's with Archer." I replied. He nodded and we began to walk down the hall. After a few minuets of silence I spoke up.

"I'm sorry I was being a bit of a bitch earlier. Jonathon pissed me off and my messed leg wasn't helping."

"That's alright lass. We all have our moments. What did he do though?" Soap replied.

"Well, him and Roach aren't on the best terms, and he said that he doesn't care if he's dead or alive. That kind of pissed me off, since he doesn't realize what he has. You know, a brother and all..." Soap nodded, understanding that I was talking about Tommy. We arrived to the car and Ghost, still wearing his mask, came towards us.

"Took you two long enough. C'mon, or we'll be late." He said, hopping into the drivers seat. I sat down next to him in the passenger's seat.

"Chill out, Ghostie. It's not even seven yet. You'll get your liquor soon enough." I said.

"Good. I need a fucking beer after dealing with Meat and his shitheads for the past three weeks."

We drove on the mostly inhabited highway for about an hour before we finally arrived to the closest town. Soap and Ghost had been arguing over the directions to Cynthia's house for five minuets now.

"No, we'd go down Main Street to get to Bolston Square."

"Are you thick? You have to take a right onto Coply Ave." This went on for a little while longer, but we eventually found her address. We pulled up to a bright pink house with a flower garden and tons of yard decorations.

"I always knew you had a taste in women who try to relive their childhood by living in a life sized doll house! Oi, is that Barbie's pink convertible?" I said. Ghost and couldn't stop laughing.

"Behave yourselves or I'll hang you by your thumbs!" Soap yelled.

"I bet hers are plastic!" Ghost chuckled. Soap jumped out of the car and slammed the door. He made his way to the house and knocked on the door. Cynthia opened it and hugged him. I could see that she had curled hair, wore a skin tight purple dress that had a very deep neckline, and heals that were at least four inches. Not to mention she was plastered in makeup.

_God, she even looked like a Barbie. _

"MacTavish actually does have good taste in women..." He said, leaning towards the window.

"Put your eyes back into your head, mate." I replied, wishing I had dressed up more. The "couple" got into the car.

"Cynthia, this is Simon. You already know Charlotte." Ghost shot him a weird look through his mask for calling me by my full name.

"Just call me Charlie." I said.

"Oh but Charlotte is so much more sophisticated!" Cynthia replied.

"Well I'm not very sophisticated, sorry." She seemed taken aback by me saying this. Ghost started the engine to fill the awkward silence.

* * *

"John, is this really a good place to take two women? It seems rather...shady..." Said Cynthia. She was clinging to Soap's arm. I'll admit the bar wasn't the nicest joint in town, but we've gone here ever since we joined the Task Force 141.

"Don't worry, it's perfectly safe with Ghost and I here. Why don't we sit there?" He said. We sat down at a booth near the front of the bar. The bartender, Roy, came over to take our order. He was an older man who had a reputation for gambling and women, but all in all he was a nice guy. Cynthia on the other hand, seemed utterly repulsed.

"Hey soldiers. How we doin tonight? Should I get you the usual's? Wait, what would this fine young thing like to drink?" He leaned towards her. She inched even closer to Soap, which I thought wasn't possible since she was already practically in his lap.

"I'd like a glass of wine. That's all." She said quickly. Roy winked at her.

"Anything for the lady." He walked towards the bar. Two of the usual drunks here came over to us, who we knew pretty well.

"Hi Jack, hey Kevin." I said. They were leaning on each other for support due to their severe intoxication. Jack burped before he spoke.

"'Ey Charles. Hower you doin? You gotta beer? Roy won't gimme anymore..." He stammered. Kevin nodded in agreement, even though he was falling asleep on his friend's shoulder.

"I think you've had enough for tonight, mates." Ghost said. Roy came over and placed our drinks on our worn down table.

"Oh come on. I'm so thirsty I could eat an elephant." Jack continued. Kevin was now snoring loudly on Jack's shoulder.

"Oh fine. You two can have one more on the house!" Roy said, handing them each a beer.

"Cheers to the best barber in the world!" Jack took a long gulp and started to poorly sing "God Save the Queen." Kevin had woken up and was dancing. Roy grumbled and pushed them away from the table. I watched Cynthia take a sip from her wine, which she made a sour face to.

"What's wrong?" Asked Soap, putting his own drink down.

"It's disgusting!" She shrieked. Ghost observed the glass.

"Well yeah I'd think so. It's just squeezed grape juice in a glass. It even has some pieces of the skin still in it." He replied.

"Roy's too cheap to buy the real stuff. We could be drinking rat poison for all we know." I said. Soap shot a "shut it" look to Ghost and I.

"I'm sorry tonight's turning out so awful. I thought it would be better." Soap said facing Cynthia.

"Oh that's alright. It doesn't matter what happens as long as I'm with you, John." She said tenderly.

She started to stroke his cheek and moved her face closer to his. Ghost cleared his throat and mumbled something like "Be back in a sec." He got up and went towards the bathroom. I was uncomfortable sitting across from them too, but for a different reason. Anger was boiling up inside me. I felt like I wanted to rip her hand off. As their lips touched, I got up from the table with my crutches and made my way across the bar room, pushing down a few dancing drunks who were in my way.

_Why do I feel like this? _

I felt rage boil inside of me, but something else was stirring in there, too.

Jealousy?

But why would I feel that? I don't like the Captain like that. Yes we've had a very complicated friendship throughout the past five years, but I like him only as a friend.

Or is it more than that?

* * *

**Oh my gosh my head is going to explode from all of this writing...and it's 3:30 again...**

**So is Charlie crushing on Soap? Hmmmm I'd think so! Or maybe it's one of the drunks! Dun, dun, dun! (Lol I had too. I'm attached to Kevin and Jack now.)**


	8. Chapter 8

**So this chapter is going to be a pivotal point in the story. I'm going to start the MW2 campaign in a chapter or two, therefore that should get things moving along, too. Also, I want to thank you guys for the support. I know I say that every chapter, but I really mean it!**

* * *

I checked the time on my phone. It was only 8:15. I put it back in my pocket and leaned against the grimy wall outside of the bar's kitchen.

"What are you doing back here? This is where all of the pervs hang out." Ghost was standing next to me.

"I'm taking a break from the noise in the bar room. Kevin and Jack seem a little more rowdy tonight than usual." I said.

"That's bull. You love being in the center of a party. What's wrong?" He asked, crossing his arms.

"First of all, that's not a party. It's a loud gathering of sad old drunks. And nothing's wrong...it's just that Cynthia's a little clingy..."

"A little? She's practically sitting in his lap!"

"That's what I thought!" I chuckled. We turned around and looked at our table, where Cynthia and Soap were still making out. I sighed and looked down at my feet. _Why her? _

Ghost glanced at me and then at the table. "Oh I get it now... you like the Captain!" He nudged my arm.

"I...no...well you see-" I could feel my face go red.

"No you like him! This is bloody good! Wait 'till I tell him!"

"Don't you fucking dare! I'll nail your mask to the top of the flagpole if you do!" I was becoming quite angry at Ghost now.

"I bet you'd love to screw a few things, too!" He joked. I stormed away as fast as I could from the lieutenant. I was pretty far ahead of him, but as I opened the door to the bar, I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Look, I was just kidding. I won't tell him if you don't want me to." Ghost said facing me.

"You'd better be." I was beginning to calm down.

"But you should tell him soon before he gets too cozy with Kate Upton over there." He said as he pointed towards the "couple."

"I can't. It would make things really complicated." I replied.

"How? As long as the general doesn't know about it then you'd be fine."

"No it's not that...It's just..." I didn't have the guts to finish my sentence.

"Just what, Charlie?" I took a deep breathe and whispered in his ear one of my deepest, darkest secrets. He pulled away suddenly.

"You're fucking kidding me! What...?"

"Yeah...see why I can't tell him that I like him." I mumbled.

"Well, you should defiantly tell him what I just heard! WHY WOULDN'T YOU TELL HIM THAT-" I clamped my hand over his mouth.

"SHHH!"

He sat down on a bench. "Holy shit... I need another beer..."

"I'll get it." I said.

"No your crippled and apparently insane."

"Oi! I am not!" I defended.

"Sure, sure. Hey Roy, get us two more beers!"

* * *

"And that's how I won the quidditch match!" Kevin finished.

"You mean the football match?" I said. Ghost and I had been sitting at the counter for about an hour now, and I was starting to feel the effects of the amount of alcohol I had consumed so far.

"Sure, sure. Hey Ron, gimme another butter beer!" He called out. Roy had given up on trying to sober up Jack and Kevin a few hours ago, since they'd get their hands on liquor someway or another. So now he was giving them whatever they wanted.

"Since when did he read Harry Potter?" I asked Ghost.

"I heard that he's a teacher when he's not drunk." He said. I shrugged and took another sip from my drink.

"Looks like Soap and Cynthia are ready to go." Ghost pointed to the two, who were passed out on top of each other. Apparently, Cynthia had come around to the wine.

"I'm not carrying Soap, though. That's your job." He said as he put money on the counter.

"But I'm crippled! You said it yourself!" I whined.

"Fine, but you owe me." He went and tapped on their shoulders. Cynthia woke up and tipsily began to walk towards the door, while Soap was out cold. Ghost lifted him up and slug the captain's arm around his shoulder. After five minuets of getting everyone into the car, we finally were able to leave the bar.

Soap was still passed out by the time we got to Cynthia's house. Before she opened the door of the car to get out, she leaned over and gave Soap a peck on the cheek. But as she did, I saw her hand reach down into his pocket that held his wallet and take it out.

"Oi! That's not yours!" I yelled. She jumped off of him and dropped the wallet on the floor of the car.

"I know! I was putting it back! Before we left, I saw that he forgot his wallet on the table, so I took it to give back to him."

"It didn't look like that, 'Cyn'." I spat.

"Whatever, 'Charlotte'." With that she got out of the car and proceeded to walk up her walkway.

"What a lying bitch. Can you believe her?" I said.

"You're just mad that she called you by your full name." Ghost said as he pulled away from her house.

"That too, but she took his wallet! I saw it in his pocket when we left!"

"Wait, how would you know that?" He asked.

"I saw it..."

"Why were you looking there?" I stayed silent and could feel myself blushing for the hundredth time tonight.

"Oh my god that's priceless!"

"Shut it and drive."

* * *

{Two days later}

I slammed my hand on the snooze button on my alarm clock. I rolled my body towards the wall to try to enjoy in the last few peaceful moments of sleep before a full day of training started.

"Mum, get up." Emma said, poking my back. I turned my head in her direction. She was already dressed and had her hair neatly arranged into two pigtails.

"When did you get dressed?" I asked.

"A little while ago." She answered.

"Well who did your hair?"

"The Captain did! Oh, he said that he wanted to see you." She skipped into the hallway. A few seconds later she poked her head into the room.

"Are you coming?" Slowly, I sat up and stretched my arms.

_What does he want now?_

* * *

I knocked on Soap's door. Emma had gone with Archer to visit Roach in the infirmary, so I was by myself for the rest of the afternoon. I heard a muffled "come in" from Soap.

"You wanted to see me?" I asked as I opened the door.

"Yes, I did. I want to talk to you about the other night." He began.

"What's there to talk about?" I said, standing in front of his desk.

"Well, I saw you storm out. Mind telling me what happened?"

"Nothing happened." I lied.

"Cut the crap, Char. I know you better than that."

"Well, it seems that you know Cynthia way better." _Shit I should't have said that..._

He looked thoughtful for a moment.

"That's not true. I know that you are extra ticklish around your ribs, can't stand the smell of mustard, and that you sleep on your left side most of the time. Not to mention that you have the most beautiful smile I've ever seen." My heart skipped a few beats.

"Well she has a beautiful smile, too."

"Yeah, but hers is fake. She only liked my wallet, apparently. You're sincere and kind, and not to mention that you like me for me."

"Like is an understatement." I admitted. He got up from his desk and stood next to me.

"Same here." Soap lightly brushed a piece of hair behind my ear, then rested his hand on the back of my neck. Suddenly, I heard a knock at the door. Quickly, he removed his hand and sat down at his desk.

"Yes?" He called. Archer and Emma entered the room.

"I was just dropping off Emma. She said that you'd be here, Charlie." The sniper said. Emma ran up to me and grabbed a hold of my hand. I stayed silent for a moment, still shocked about what had just happened.

"Um, thanks Archer." I said, finally snapping back into reality. He nodded to Soap and left the room.

"Who told you about... uh...me...you know.." I said. Soap chuckled as he realized what I was saying.

"Ghost did." Soap chuckled as he realized what I was saying.

"Right then. And thanks for getting Emma ready this morning. The pigtails look good."

"No problem. Having three younger sisters really helped my hair styling techniques."

"See you later." I said, smiling.

* * *

"GET BACK HERE YOU FUCKING SON OF A BITCH!" Ghost screamed as he chasing me down the hallway. I had ripped his balaclava off of his face and was about to nail it on top of the flag pole as payback for him telling Soap that I liked him.

"You mean daughter?" I called back to him as I opened the large door that lead to the small courtyard. Surprisingly, I was holding up pretty well against Ghost's wrath. My thigh was beginning to hurt, but I still had a pretty good lead over him. A group of soldiers had gathered around us as I dove onto the flag pole and began inching my way up to the top. The mask was in one of my hands, while a nail and hammer were in the other.

"Charlie is defiantly my favorite Lieutenant!" Yelled Meat. Sounds of agreement rang out from the group of bystanders.

"SHUT IT YOU BLOODY WANKERS OR I'LL SHOVE THE DAMN POLE UP YOUR ASSES!" Ghost screamed. They became silent immediately.

I had reached the top now and proceeded to nail the balaclava to the pole. Now the only problem is getting down without Ghost biting off my freaking leg.

* * *

**That's right, Sarlie is an official ship now! Sorry this chapter was short. I'm just really tired tonight.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Yes I know that this is a few days later than I usually update. I don't have a valid excuse as to why it's late other than watching too much Netflix, so I'm sorry. I know you guys are probably sick pf hearing this, but thanks for the support! And since I haven't said this in a few chapters, any characters that seem familiar belong to the wonderful creators of Modern Warfare 2, not me. (Though I wish they were mine.)**

* * *

"Now did you really have to push me off of that damn flag pole?" I asked Ghost. He stood next to me with his stupid mask on. I swear I could see him grinning under the piece of fabric.

"Yes. If you mess with the mask you mess with me." He said casually.

"Whatever, Ghostie. See you later." With that I turned around and walked away. The hallway was empty, but after a few moments of walking in silence I heard the familiar footsteps of the Captain behind me.

"Hey Char. How did your revenge on Ghost go?" Soap asked.

"Well, I'm a little sore since Ghost is too overprotective of that satanic mask, but overall I think I proved a point." I paused. "I heard that Roach is out of the infirmary. Is his brother still here?"

"No. He went back to Shadow Company a few days ago. Although, I'm sure we'll see him again. Shepherd seems to be watching us pretty closely lately." He said.

"He's starting to get on my nerves. I bet we'll be sent on another mission in a few days. He doesn't like it when we're 'sitting on our asses.'"

"Too true lass, though you're right about the mission. I got a call from him last night after you left my office. He said that we've got another lead on Makarov. I'm not sure what it is yet, but there'll be a briefing tonight. You can come if you want."

"Sure I have nothing planned. But speaking of last night, where do we stand? You know, relationship wise." I said as we turned a corner.

"Well, I like you. A lot. And you seem to feel the same way about me... so do you want to go out to dinner or something after the mission?" He asked.

"Um, like a date?"

"Yeah, like that. I'll even pay."

"I'd love that, but I'll only go if I can pay for myself." I replied stubbornly. Soap looked down and smiled at me.

"We'll see about that, Lieutenant."

* * *

"No, defiantly not." I said. Emma pouted at my response. I was siting between Roach and Soap on the couch in the rec room, while Emma was kneeling on the floor in front of me.

"But I want to play with you and Soap! I'm so bored!" She whined. The Captain looked over at her and seemed a bit shocked that she used his call sign. Only Ghost and I ever call him that.

"No. Shooting guns is not playing.. it's well... it's working. And if you're so board then go play with Peanut." I said to Emma.

"Fine. But he's probably napping." She got up and walked towards the kitten. The little fuzz ball was laying in the corner of the room. I turned my attention back to the TV. I was finally able to have a moment of peace and quiet. Unfortunately, it was just that, a moment.

"Who the hell is Soap?" Asked Roach.

"Forget about it bug." I said. He made an annoyed sound from the back of his throat at being called "bug", but I ignored it.

About a half an hour later, Worm came in and tapped the Captain's shoulder, who had started to doze off on the couch.

"Shepherd wants to speak to you. He's waiting on the phone in your office." Worm said.

"Alright. You coming, Charlie?" Soap asked. I nodded my head and stood up.

Let's get this over, then.

* * *

We walked into the office. Soap sat down at his desk and I stood next to him. He pressed the speaker button and began to talk to the general.

"Captain MacTavish speaking."

"Captain, my men have gotten a new lead on Makarov and I need you to carry out the mission." Shepherd started.

"What do you need us to do, Sir?" Soap asked.

"We've found a Russian airbase on a mountain in Kazakhstan, where they have a module from a downed satellite. I need you to get it before they use it's information."

"What are we up against?"

"The base is located at the top of the mountain, so dress warmly and be prepared to do some climbing. There are about 200 soldiers and the area is heavily guarded, therefore this is a stealth operation. If you draw any attention to yourselves then I promise you that it won't be easy getting to the LZ. So, I'm assigning you and Gary Sanderson to the mission." The general said.

"Gary, Sir? Why him?" Soap sounded rather confused by Shepherd's decision.

"I saw his time in the Pit and was quite impressed. This will be a good test to see what he can really do. The Pit is where we see a soldier's potential, but the battlefield is where we see a soldier's true ability to fight for what he believes in, and I want to see that with Sanderson."

Soap stayed silent for a moment before answering.

"Understood Sir."

"Good. I'll send the map of the base and equipment list later this evening. Good day, Captain." I could hear a click before the line went dead. Soap slammed the top of his desk with his fists, causing me to jump a little bit.

"What's wrong?" I asked. He leaned on the desk and put his head in his hands.

"What if he gets killed? If he makes one mistake then he could be dead in seconds." He said quietly. I put a hand on his shoulder.

"He won't, because you'll be there to make sure that doesn't happen. Just think of all the times you've saved my ass out there. He'll be fine." I assured him. He looked up at me and flashed me a weak smile.

"Thanks, I guess-" Soap didn't finish his sentence due to a panicked Royce running into the room.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"There was an accident on the shooting range -Emma was hurt."

My stomach dropped. Soap and I looked at each other before taking off towards the infirmary.

* * *

When we got there we were greeted by Ghost, who was standing in the doorway. But when I tried to enter the room, he wouldn't let me in.

"Let me go in there! She's my daughter!" I nearly shouted.

"I can't! Doc's stabilizing her and he told me not to let anyone in. Not even you." Ghost replied

"Why does she need to be stabilized? How bad was the accident?" I was starting to become even more nervous and upset.

"Just sit down for a second." Ghost said as he led me over to a nearby bench. "Ok, so when I say that this was an accident, you need to believe that no one meant to do this."

"Tell me what happened Ghost!" I snapped.

"Well, Archer, Toad, Royce, and I were out on the shooting range earlier. She ran onto the course without any of us seeing her. I think she was chasing that damn cat of hers. Anyways, Toad shot at a target without knowing she was there and hit her in the abdomen. We got her here as fast as we could, but she still lost a substantial amount of blood. I'm sorry, Charlie... I should have been watching her..." Ghost whispered the last part, and I could hear how upset he was.

"It's not your fault, mate." Soap said quietly.

Why? Why did I let her out of my sight?

I sprang up from the bench and sprinted into the infirmary before either one of the men could stop me. I burst open the door, and now saw why Doc didn't want me to see what had happened to my little girl.

She was laying there motionless, as if the life had been sucked out of her. Her once rosy red cheeks were now pale as snow, and her little body was covered in blood. Doc and two of the nurses were working frantically to stop the bleeding, but their efforts seem to be in vain. Blood was everywhere. My head started to feel extremely light, as if I was the one who got shot. I can't stand seeing my little Emma floating on the thin line that divides life from death. She seems so close to crossing it, so close, but I can't let her.

Tears began to stream down my face. I can barley breath and my legs are going to give out at any second. Suddenly, I feel large arms around me. Looking up, I noticed the outline of Soap's face through blurred vision. I wrap my arms around as much as his waist as I can and bury my face into his chest.

I am her mother, therefore it is my job to protect her from all of the evil and pain in the world, but what could I do now? I feel as though I'm sinking into the ground, into a dark pit of nothing. That's what I am without her. Nothing. She is my reason to live, and if she's gone, then I might as well be too.

* * *

**I know, you guys probably hate me for doing that. But I couldn't help myself after watching depressing movies all day. Well, it's almost 2 am so I'm going to bed. Thanks for reading!**


	10. Chapter 10

**I know you guys probably hate me for not updating AND for leaving off with a cliffhanger, but I have a valid excuse! I've had no internet access for the past week, and school work and soccer have taken up a lot of time. Not to mention that I've been in a play for the past few weekends. But I feel like such a hypocrite, since I always yell at other people for doing this. So I'm wicked sorry! Thanks for reading (and hopefully) reviewing! **

* * *

"She's been in a coma for three days, John! I have to see her!" I said from the doorway of my room. It felt weird using Soap's real name, but I needed him to realize how serious I was.

"Doc will tell you when Emma wakes up, Char. She needs to rest." Soap said, running a hand through his disheveled hair.

"What she needs is a mother! What if she doesn't wake up and-"

"And you have to calm down! Panicking isn't going to help her. Besides, you need to get some sleep." He got up from the chair in the corner of the room and walked towards me.

"I'm not tired." I said, trying to conceal a large yawn.

"Bullshit." He started. "Come and lay down."

When I didn't move, he grabbed my arm and all but pushed me onto the bed.

"Now I'm going to get something to eat. When I get back you'd better be asleep." Soap shut off the light and left the room.

After about 20 minuets of laying in complete darkness, the door opened and the captain walked in. I quickly shut my eyes and pretended to be sleeping. But just as I thought he was going to leave, I felt one of his hands lightly stroke my cheek. He then leaned down and kissed my forehead.

"Sleep tight, Char."

When he moved away, I opened my eyes just enough to see him collapse in the chair. His hair desperately needed to be combed, there were large bags under his eyes, and his face could use a shaving. Overall, he looked exhausted. Hell I probably do, too, but Soap just seemed so worn down and worried about Emma and the impending mission. I guess he was just being brave for my sake. Over the past few days I have had a number of breakdowns, but he's been by my side the entire time. He's the only person other than Tommy that I have been able to completely count on.

The door opened again and someone entered.

"Sir, Doc needs to see you and Charlie immediately." Ghost said. I slowly opened my eyes and sat up.

"Is Emma awake? Is she alright?" I asked anxiously.

"I- I don't know. Doc didn't tell me." Ghost replied. Before he could say anything else, I hopped up from the bed and headed towards the infirmary.

* * *

"How is Emma doing?" Soap asked. Ghost and I were standing next to him outside of the room.

"Well, we had to preform surgery in order to remove the bullet. It ricochet off of two of her ribs and punctured a lung. Despite that she lost a lot of blood, she should make a full recovery." Doc finished.

I let out a sigh of relief. "Can we see her?"

"Of course." He replied. Soap put one of his hands on my shoulder and gave me a reassuring nod. Ghost opened the door to the room and we walked in. Emma was laying in a bed placed in the center of the room with the covers pulled up to her chin. Monitors surrounded the bed and an IV was hooked up to her arm. Her skin was still extremely pale, but I could see it was slowly starting to regain color. I walked over to her and placed a hand on her cheek. After a few seconds, Emma's eyelids opened and her glistening green eyes were peering up at me.

"Mummy... What happened?" She asked weakly. I knelt down beside her.

"You had a little accident. Just promise me something."

"What is it?

"Never wonder off again."

She nodded as I kissed her tiny forehead. Thank goodness she was alright.

* * *

"Roach, you forgot your ice picks!" I called to the young Sergeant. He turned around sprinted back to me, then grabbed the gear from my hands.

"Thanks." Roach started. "Um, could I ask you a question?"

"Fire away." I said, crossing my arms.

"Well, what do I do if I need to...um... use the little bug's room?" He began to shift uncomfortably.

"Wait, what?"

"If I need to... relieve myself on the chopper, where do I... go." His face had begun turning a deep shade of red.

"Why would you ask me instead of another guy?" I asked.

"You're the only one who wouldn't laugh. But would you just answer the question?"

"Um... I guess bring a... empty bottle."

"Ok, I'll do that... Thanks." He began walking away once more.

"Oh and Roach?" I called ahead.

"Yeah?" He asked.

"Don't fall off the side of the mountain. Hell, don't even look down." I chuckled. He gave a weak smile and left. The Captain and Ghost walked over and now stood where the sergeant had previously.

"Don't scare the poor lad. If Roach is freaked out, then that makes my job ten times harder." Soap said. I could barely make out his face through all of the gear he was wearing.

"Well I was just giving him some friendly advice. We don't want a squashed bug at the bottom of a freaking mountain." Soap rolled his eyes at my comment.

"Not to change the subject, but did Roach just ask where to... use the Lou on the heli?" Ghost added.

"Yep. He thought I was the only one who wouldn't laugh."

"I wouldn't of laughed." He said.

"No, but he's scared shitless of you. All you do is yell at him."

"Well he's fucking annoying."

"Yeah, but he's growing on you. Last week when he spilled his drink on you, you just said 'It's fine mate.' The normal Ghost would have kicked his ass for it." I said, placing a hand on my hip.

"She's got a point, Ghost." Soap added.

"Whatever. I'm going to get something to eat. Good luck on the mission, Cap'tn." Ghost said as he left us. The pilot signaled to Soap that he was ready to leave.

"You'd better get going." I said.

"Yeah. Take care of Emma. She needs you."

"That's my job, remember?" I laughed lightly. He smiled down at me and kissed my forehead before leaving. Once he was about to board the chopper, he spoke up again.

"Don't forget about our date after!" He called. Roach, who was sitting next to him, shot us a confused look.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Roach asked.

"It's nothing, Roach. Hey, did you bring an empty bottle?" I yelled. His eyes went wide as they took off. I started laughing for the first time since Emma's accident, and it felt pretty good.

* * *

**(Three days later)**

"Sit up, Em. It's time for breakfast." I said. One of the nurses had brought in a bowl of Frosted Flakes, which was Emma's favorite cereal. With my help, she slowly got into an upright position. Although she still winced in pain, I could tell she was doing much better. The spark was returning to her eyes and she was doing things with more ease.

"When is Soap and Roach coming back?" She asked through a mouth full of cereal.

"Anytime, now. I was wondering if you would like to go out for a stroll today. I checked with Doc and he said that it would be OK." Her face lite up and she was nearly bouncing with excitement.

"Yes! Can we go now?"

"We can go after you finish your breakfast- hey slow down. You're going to choke!"

After she was done eating, I gently scooped her up and placed her in a wheelchair. She wasn't to thrilled by the idea of not being able to walk, but she eventually acknowledged that there was no other way she would be able to leave the room.

As I rolled her down the hallway, we were met by Toad and Archer.

"Hey kiddo, how are you feeling?" The sniper asked.

"OK. But Mummy won't let me walk." She pouted. Archer chuckled and put a large hand on her tiny shoulder.

"You will soon, don't worry. Just get better." He said. Suddenly I could hear a chopper flying over head.

"That must be Tweedledee and Tweedledum ." Toad added. Emma burst out laughing, but then started to cough uncontrollably. I grabbed my water bottle from bag and handed it to her, which she then gulped down.

"Careful or you'll hurt yourself even more." I said to her. "I'm going to tell the Captain that you called him that." I smirked.

"Whatever Alice. I'll see you guys later." He and Archer then walked pass us.

"Let's go meet Soap and Roach." Emma said enthusiastically. I nodded my head and proceeded towards the door.

* * *

"So how did the mission go?" I asked the two weary looking soldiers in front of me.

"It was great until Roach almost fell off of a cliff." Soap said.

"I thought I told you not to look down!" I scolded.

"I didn't! It's just that the ice was too thick and-"

"No excuses. You looked down." I interrupted. Roach sighed and walked past me, heading towards the barracks.

"He's a little shook up, lass. I'd go easy on him." MacTavish said.

"Poor kid. Although, he came back in one piece. I'm guessing that was your doing."

"I caught him just in time, actually. But it kind of freaked me out, too. What if I hadn't caught him in time?"

"Well he's here now so no need to panic. Besides, you have to get ready for a date tonight, if that's OK with you?" I said.

"Sure. But I get to choose where we go."

"And where would that be?" I grinned.

"It's a surprise."

* * *

**So that wasn't as good as I intended, but the next chapter will be HUGE! A big question is going to be ****answered! Anyways, hope you liked the little Sarlie moments, and I promise I will get back into my normal updating times!**


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